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I fell for a photo this week. It was on marthastewart.com and it looked like an accordion, or maybe a Slinky, of thinly sliced, crisped potatoes and my brain computed this as CHIPS. POTATO CHIPS MASQUERADING AS GROWN-UP SIDE DISH. MUST MAKE POTATO CHIP CASSEROLE (I was kind of like this dog here) and although further investigation of the recipe unveiled no actual use of potato chips, creamed canned soup or anything also that would really allow it to be titled a Potato Chip Casserole, it was too late and I was making it anyway.

Plus, I was looking for a gratin alternative for potatoes for my family’s Seder on Monday night and this fit the bill perfectly. It’s not that I don’t like, nay love, any excuse to drown potatoes in cream and butter and swaddle them in a blistered cheese lid, but given that there was already going to be a spread, it didn’t seem necessary that the potatoes be so over-the-top.

If you have a mandoline, the prep on this is remarkably simple. Even the seemingly fussy parts — wedging thinly sliced shallots between potatoes — take only minutes. The baking time, however, is epic, close to two hours. I should have paid better attention in physics because for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how something the depth and thickness of a baked potato could take nearly twice as long to bake but advise you not to skimp if you want your dish cooked through.

The results are stunning, and it tastes, just as I had hoped and dreamed, half like potato chips and half like a fragrant potato roast. Nevertheless, I’d love to punch up the flavor a bit next time, either finishing it with a sprinkling of soft goat cheese or feta and crumbled bacon or bits of crisped pancetta. I would also love to try this with my favorite potatoes, Yukon Golds next and to see how it would be interspersed with thin slices of a root vegetable. There’s a ton of potential here so if you tweak the recipe, I’d love to hear how in the comments.

About the baking dish: My dish in the first photo is on the small side because I discovered that I’d only bought 2/3 of the potatoes I needed and scaled the recipe down. However, I found when I had the full amount of potatoes (retesting this) that it didn’t fit quite right in the 9-inch round baking dish Martha suggested (though it might for someone else). So, I’m going to make the somewhat annoying suggestion that you slice up all of your potatoes, grab a few dishes that may potentially work (a cast iron skillet would be great here), play around with the potato slices and when you figure out what dish you want to use, then put the butter/oil in the bottom and set it up. It sounds a bit insane but will ensure that your potato dish ends up looking exactly the way you want it to.

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. With a sharp knife or manoline, slice potatoes crosswise very thinly. Figure out what baking dish you’d like to use [see Note above]; Martha suggests a 9-inch round baking dish (a deep dish pie pan would fit this bill) though I think you could go an inch bigger, an oval 1 1/2 to 2 quart casserole dish might also be pretty.

Once you’ve picked the dish that seems the best fit for your slices, pour a tablespoon or so of the butter/oil mixture in the bottom and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the oil mixture with a few pinches of coarse salt and red pepper flakes, if using; this will allow you to season both the top and underside of the potatoes. Arrange your potato slices vertically in the dish.

Thinly slice shallots with your mandoline and slide shallot slivers between potato wedges, distributing them as evenly as possible. Brush with remaining oil/butter mixture. Generously season your dish with salt; go easier on the red pepper flakes, if using. Bake 1 1/4 hours, then arrange thyme sprigs on top and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisped top, about 35 minutes more. If casserole seems to brown too fast, cover it with foil to slow it down. Add any garnishes, if using, and serve immediately.

Holy delicious crispy browned potatoes!! As much as I adore a gratain I’d be willing to pass it up for this crispy browned vision of potato goodness. The presentation is amazing!! I will be making this soon. Sounds like the perfect excuse to finally get that mandolin that I’ve been wanting for far too long :)

That looks amazing. I was just trying to think of a side dish to make for Easter and of course you come to the rescue! I always fall in love with the photographs then obsess about them without ever reading what is actually in the recipe. That’s how I found the Chocolate Peanut Caramel Torte I’m making today.

Sounds interesting…I have a recipe from an old friend of my mom’s that is similar except for one little thing… she pours heavy cream over the tops! Her recipe calls for the potatoes to be thinly sliced but not all the way through, so they’re still connected at the bottom, skins left on…sprinkled with salt, pepper and dotted with butter, then comes the cream! She calls them Million Dollar Potatoes…more like million calorie! So slicing the potatoes like you did and pouring on the cream can only be good, better, great!! Thanks for jogging my memory, now I know what potato dish to make tomorrow! xo, Nan

Do you have any recs for a mandoline, specifically, not a crazy expensive one that handles basic vegetables (looks like the one in your pic might fit the bill?)?

And any tips for how to handle thyme? What happens when you bake the sprigs in this recipe, do the leaves fall off or are you just supposed to remove the stems before eating? I’m lucky to have an abundance of thyme in my balcony garden and use it often, but I HATE picking off the leaves. If I’m making soup, I just toss it in, stem and all, and pick it out later.

Mandoline — I bought this one years ago mostly because it was $12 (at the time and I’m SURE you can find it elsewhere for less than Amazon has it right now) and I thought it would “hold me over” until I bought a real one. Turns out, it’s all you’ll ever need and more or less the only thing you see in restaurant kitchens.

As they all do, this recipe looks amazing and I am sure I will be trying it soon. MORE importantly….I knew I loved you already, and then you link to Hyperbole and a Half…and an entry about simple dog at that?!?!?! We just might be kindred spirits my friend!! :) And, I own a simple dog…not quite as funny in real life…haha!

I fell for it once as well, but on Jaden’s (SteamyKitchen) site, not Martha’s. Jaden’s “Domino Potatoes” looked so darn wonderful all lined up in perfectly aligned rectangles. Mine? Not so much, but equally as brown, crispy and delicious. Yours looks just as good.

I’ve tried it with red potatoes too and like that variety. They seem to be more moist which lends itself to a bit of a creamier interior. I haven’t tried putting onions or shallots in between the slices. I’ll try that next.

Any idea if this would work with margarine and olive oil, rather than butter? I would love to share this dish with my mom, whose house is kosher, as it would be a perfect side dish to her brisket, but I’d need to skip/replace the dairy.

I’ve been making a sweeter variation on this for years– same concept, but using alternating sections of sweet potato and apple rows instead, with a little water in the pan and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Sometimes I put some maple flavoring in the water, but it doesn’t need it to be good. It’s the best crowd recipe– super cheap, and people love it.

Ohh drool! I just had a potatoes for lunch. Potatoes boulanger made with fennel and shallots with my easter rack of lamb. I might just have to have a second easter lunch tomorrow! The photos look stunning.

forgive me if I missed this, but did you say anywhere what thickness setting you used on your mandoline? 1/8″ or …? I must admit that I’m a bit of a math nerd and when it comes to recipes, I like to be able to replicate as precisely as possible. yum!

As far as I remember you once saying, you’re a stickler for proper grammar. Check your 3rd paragraph down. “I should have paid better in physics…”. Paid better “attention” I’m assuming? I should venture to think you weren’t paying off your teachers. :)

My brother-in-law has been making these forever – I am in awe of him as he hand slices the potatoes and keeps them intact, so when serving yourself you can get a whole potato, that is before you go back for seconds. I am going to tell him about the shallots – think he will like it a lot! Great photo!

Deb, I haven’t yet bought a mandoline and don’t plan on it because I have one on our wedding registry (November!!!) and I don’t want to buy one when I might get one later this year, and besides I’m poor. Any tips on how to get the potatoes nice and thin without a mandoline? I’m a terrific baker, but I’m still working on my knife skills :)

Oh, I can’t believe I made a recipe before you! But thank you for the mandoline suggestion; my cheaping out version was much less successful than yours. Thanks for the lovely prompting–next time potatoes are on sale, I’m doing it again. Yum!

My mom used to make a dish like this when I was a kid that I LOVED. She used lots of dried thyme and instead of the thin slices standing up on edge, they were layered in a spiral around the dish. I think it may be time to make those (or yours) soon!

Um, I love potatoes and carbs to an almost criminal level and this looks beyond divine. I’m pretty sure I could polish off this whole dish in mere minutes. MINUTES. and totally wouldn’t feel guilty afterward.

Deb, you ruined my Easter lunch. I had it all nicely planned out. Now I have to make these potatoes, like, now? No I need to go to sleep now – let’s say I have to make them tomorrow at the latest, which happens to be Easter. Who cares. I want them. Now.

I agree with Jessica (#11 wayyyy up there) — when I saw this I IMMEDIATELY thought of hasselback potatoes, and thankfully so, because I accidentally deleted my food blog a month ago and had completely forgotten about them!!! Hands down the BEST way to cook potatoes that I’ve ever come across. Like magic. In your mouth. MAKE THEM. (:))

I am so in…it immediately reminded me of the Julia Child’s kissing cousin dish, Potato Lyonnaise. You know Julia, she probably has some very long and fancy name associated with her dish that I can’t remember. Is there any way that you could parboil the potatoes to cut the cooking time? Also, would the substitution of heavy cream add anything to the dish? I am loving the idea of the feta and the grilled crispy pancetta, but this is absolutely gorgeous. We are having traditional Southern potato salad for our Easter dinner tomorrow, but I am aching to try this next year.

I fell in love with this dish when I saw it on an episode of Everyday Food. It is definitely a looker. I did have reservations about the flavor because it was so simply seasoned. Thanks to your suggestion I will tinker with the recipe. Love your blog and looking forward to your book.

This looks incredible! My husband’s family loves potatoes (especially Yukon Golds) and I’m always looking for some fun new way to make them rather than the usual mashed or baked. This recipe is bookmarked and I can’t wait to give it a try!

I love you! (and not just for linking to Hyperbole and a Half) First comment on your blog though I have been following for years. Anyway, thanks for all your amazing recipes and suggestions. I have a few on full rotation in my kitchen at this point. Chard and white bean stew anyone?

I made this tonight for supper. SO good, I loved the combo of textures. Crispy/crunchy on top, a little chewy and then that soft baked potato-y goodness followed by more crunch.
I used coconut oil, my cast iron skillet and finished it with little nuggets of sharp cheddar tucked between the potato slices at the end of baking, letting them melt under the broiler before serving.
Oh and I just arranged my potato slices circular in the skillet, it looked like a flower. A delicious, delicious flower. haha
One more thing, I used my food processor to slice the potatoes, zipped through them quickly and while the slices weren’t super thin they baked up just fine.
THANK-YOU for such an inspiring recipe, this is definitely going to be made a lot here.

Wondering about trying it with sweet potatoes but imagining a shorter cooking time. I do make this boulangere-style potato dish (not as pretty though) and the long cooking time IS a mystery. If its time is cut short this dish is a bit unpleasant so please everyone, listen to Deb!

Gary — I’d go medium-sized. If tiny, you could go up one; if huge, maybe just two. (Mine were huge.) Anyway, it’s really a personal taste thing, i.e. how much onion flavor you want. If you want a slice between almost every potato slice, use more.

Miriam — Thank you. Hearing the excitement makes the fact that I’m still messing around with the breakfast section (I handed this in in Feb.) more bearable. We did sell the foreign publishing rights but we won’t know for some time where outside the U.S. it will be published. However, you’ll be able buy the American version from any online bookstore (such as Amazon and hopefully some indie ones) and it will have weights in ounces and grams so will be hopefully usable for just about everyone.

This looks like a beautiful crispy gratin! It just reminded me of one of your earlier recipes on cauliflower gratin. I just thought about something. What about turnips? A seemingly forgotten vegetable in today’s cuisine.

If you have one of those apple-peeler-corer thingys you could use it to prep your spuds. The only difference is they’ll have a hole in the middle. You can cut up the core & add it to the dish. This should save loads of time.

Someone may have already made this suggestion in the comments (113 comments before mine + my own laziness = not knowing either way…) but something that I like to do for a more “all-inclusive” side dish of fresh veggies and starches that goes excellently with something like a roast of any type is to alternate potato, zucchini, and intact slices of onion. You certainly won’t get the crisp on the potatoes because of the moisture in the other vegetables, but it makes for a great, somewhat-light side that can reduce time and effort by combining several complementary ingredients. I usually add whatever herbs are featured in the meat I cook for a nice meat/veggie pairing. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!

deb, we found this [or very similar recipe] on her everyday cooking website from the PBS show. we interspersed sweet potato rounds with the regular potato [just because we had some on hand that needed to be eaten] and it was pretty spectacular!

If you are just cooking for one (like I do) and you have a steady hand you can take a whole potato and slice it thin without going all the way through, put some garlic slices in between and bake just like you would a regular baked potato. It’s such a fun way to eat potatoes!

I happened to make almost this exact same recipe last night before even opening this post. What a coincidence. The only difference, my recipe called for pouring one and one-half cups of low-salt chicken broth over the whole thing and then baking for the first half-hour covered and removing the cover for the remainder of the time. I suppose that defeats the purpose of this recipe, which is to wind up with crispy potatoes, but it was delicious and is a great alternative to using any cream or cheese. And all of the liquid did get absorbed, making the potatoes very soft.

Note of warning, grease your pan well. Mine was a soaker. Left in the sink overnight and today was able to get it clean but it took a lot of scrubbing.

Wow. And again, wow. This looks like a dish that might take some fussing, but at least it LOOKS like a dish that took some fussing. It’s gorgeous. We get blue potatoes in our CSA- I’d love to see what they’d look like interspersed. What root veg did you have in mind?

Yum!!! This dish’s photograph practically leaps off the page. This is the perfect “company” potato dish. Simple ingredients, so everyone will love it…yet looks spectacular. All I can say is thank you so much!!!

I made this for a side with dinner tonight… it was great!!! Not heavy at all, the potatoes were cooked perfectly, i loved the little bit of crunch at the tops of the slices of potatoes. Thanks so much for another great recipe!!

I’ve made this dish a whole bunch of times (I first saw it on The Bitten Word and I guess theirs was adapted from Everyday Food but the recipes seem identical). I agree that it could stand to be jazzed up a bit from the initial version. My favourite is to mix yams and potatoes in the dish. I also use onions instead of shallots, and often add thinly sliced garlic. I also sprinkle random slices of potato with my herbs/spices of choice. I actually have a version of it in the oven right now, and it includes chipotle and parmesan. Every adaptation I’ve made has worked out realluy well, so I think it’s probably infinitely adaptable!

Made this for Easter lunch today and it was really tasty. Ok, not everyone thought it was as good as I did. But I like the crunchy texture of thinly-sliced potatoes. The slices with more oil and butter were more potato-chippy tasting, the ones with less were just kind of hard. The recipe is fine as is, but as mentioned, it is a little bland. Bacon, more herbs, cheese… anything like that would punch it up a lot. Another thing I found is that the corners of the dish where the oil and butter settled were much tastier. I think more oil overall would help, along with some extra seasonings. But it’s so pretty. I love the idea of making this again and again.

I occasionally make hasselback potatoes, which is similar but maybe a little simpler: just take a whole potato and *almost* slice it up (thinly). Leave it connected at the very bottom. Brush with loads of melted butter, add whatever herbs and spices strike your fancy, bake in baking dish, hot oven, about 45 minutes. I baste with butter as I go, too. Fancy-looking-but-easy side dish for company.

I borrowed my mom’s mandoline (must get one!) to make this tonight and it was a great success. I didn’t have thyme, but used rosemary instead, which was good, and the feta I sprinkled over at the end made it super tasty. I baked it in a 10-inch cast iron skillet which worked like a charm. Hoping to avoid sticking, I put 3 Tbs of the oil/butter mixture in the pan first. Oh my, it formed the most amazing, golden, crunchy crust on the bottom and came right out of the pan – no scrubbing. Next time, I would skip the red pepper and go with lots of freshly ground black instead. My only quibble is that against the black background of the cast iron, my crispy brown potato tops didn’t look as attractive as yours did, Deb, against the white pan. But the whole family – even the kids, who poured ketchup on top – loved it.

Knew this was this recipe before I even opened the post! I have been drooling over that recipe for about a year now since I got it in the magazine and ripped it out. You have convinced me into making it tonight!

I made this last night and I can’t stop thinking about it. I scaled down the recipe to feed two with no leftovers. No leftovers? That’s just wrong. Next time, which will be very soon, I will make the larger size version. Delicious, and so simple.

(I need a Flickr account.)
I don’t have a favorite kind of rice, but we’ve all but replaced rice with quinoa around here. I make it with chicken broth most of the time (well, Low Sodium Chicken Better than Bouillon, to be exact) and sometimes saute it with a little oil and chopped onion, like a pilaf. I highly recommend getting something pre-rinsed; Bob’s Red Mill is as well as another common brand that comes in a smaller box (I forget the name as I emptied it into a different container to better fit in my cabinet). It should say on the package. It’s quick to prepare and simple if you don’t have to take the time to rinse it. Fewer dishes, too.

Made this for Easter…but I poured cream over the potatoes, it came about half way up the potato slices…roasted them and the tops were crispy like chips, but the bottoms were creamy…you must try this, when you feel like clogging your arteries because it was the hit of the show! xo, Nan

I wonder how or if this could be adapted for use with sweet potatoes? That way you’d get the nice chewy “sweet potato fry” sort of thing going on with the top, and the lovely “baked sweet potato” texture from the bottom half… hmmmmmmm

Sarah above who hates picking thyme leaves off…have you tried the method where you run your fingers (like thumb and first finger, pinching the twig) backwards down the stem? Meaning…from tip to base of the stem, against the way it grows…the leaves just come right off, voila! no individual picking of leaves. ;)

Question – I used Yukon Golds instead of Russets, and the dish came out beautifully, however, the top, while perfectly browned was a little tough and chewy instead of being crispy. I wondered if the waxiness of the YGs contributed to this and if floury Russets weren’t, in fact, the better choice? I made it in my 10-inch cast iron pan, used bacon fat + olive oil (instead of butter + oo) and crumbled bacon over the top for the last 10 minutes of baking. FANTASTIC. Loved it as a sub for the heavier, creamier, cheesier scallops and gratins. The potato really is the star!

This will be fab with pork chops. Just got off the phone with Mr Wonderful asking him to pick up some russets. These kind of remind me of the Hassebacks that I saw on Orangette a couple years ago. YUM – cant wait til I get home and start trashing the kitchen!
BTW – I made your asparagus/pancetta hash for Easter Brunch – rave reviews!

Also made this with yukon golds– subbed in about pound and a half of parsnips as additional layers. I agree with Heather’s comment above about the tops of the potatoes going chewy even when brown and crispy-looking…but those that just got a little brown and not super crisp-(looking) were perfect. I added about 2 oz grana padano in the last 10 minutes, and when I make this again, I will use yukon golds and keep it covered with foil for longer…still so great.

This looks awesome and has my name written all over it. I might make it with half the potatoes, because my husband and I do not need to consume 4 pounds of potatoes in rapid succession (and I would). They are a weakness.

I came here the other day looking for a good scalloped potato recipe and there was this right on the front page. Made it for Easter and the first thing my cousin said when she saw the dish hit the table was “Smitten Kitchen!” I made it with leeks instead of shallots and butter potatoes instead of russets, because that’s what I had on hand, and it turned out great. The red chilies were a great addition. Also, I make your chana masala every week. Big hoorays for the Hyperbole link. My two favourite blogs.

It’s my birthday tomorrow and hubby wants to buy me a “little something” to go with the haul of books I ordered myself ; ) A Mandolin is just the thing, so I can make this gorgeous looking dish!!! The Irish in me NEEDS to taste this dish.

Mmm these look like a more artistic version of my grandmother’s scalloped potatoes. That’s so cool the way they snake around the pan like that! Looks like one of Paula Deen’s kitchen concoctions! These belong in her competition, Real Women of Philadelphia going on now. Yay for taters!!!

I tend to fall into the rut of rosemary roasted red potatoes, and this looks like a delicious and artsy way to spice things up a bit. The long cooking time isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just makes this dish perfect for Sunday dinner!

Just made this (along with your onion soup: boy was The Hubbs impressed!). It was very delicious! I blanched at the 2-hour cook time and pre-nuked my dish in the microwave for about 9 minutes, to jump-start the cooking. It then baked for about an hour or 1:15. It still turned out great!

I just popped these into the oven and they smell amazing cooking can’t wait to eat them! I didn’t have shallots so i used chives from my herb garden and added a couple cloves of crushed garlic because well you can’t go wrong with garlic, herb, and potato. Thanks for the recipe idea! So excited that I found your web site! This little west coast girl couldn’t be happier!

This is a spectacular dish if you are looking for a showy center piece! Although it does have an insanely long baking time I was able to bring a Parmesan sprinkled version to short notice Easter celebration this weekend. Everyone loved it. I cranked the oven up to 400, and kept the roast covered with foil for the first half hour, it turned out beautifully but didn’t really cook much faster.

Oh my. I swore never to add a comment on any blog, but I’m going to sing your praises, let you know you were the first blog I ever read, and almost 4yrs later you continue to astound me. Probably not as profoundly as Jacob astounds you….but the fact that from thousands of miles away you are CONSTANTLY reading my mind and writing recipes for my desires and cravings….I mean, the ones I am having THAT week. How do you do it?! Some special tastebud esp? But now that I have broken my silence, I’m going to break down and ask a favor….will you please print a list of your favorite eateries in NYC? I will be visiting Manhattan in a few weeks and would so appreciate having a list: dives, ethnic, classy, coffee shops, bakeries….please? Thank you!

A good reason to invest in a mandolin slicer. The Barefoot Contessa has a similar looking idea with slicing the potatoes into thin slices but leaving them intat so teh potato sort of fans out. Very beautiful!

Deb, you just convinced me to drop my work and run to the kitchen to make crispy potato roast. Thanks for suggesting a tweak. But instead of cheese or bacon, I decided to give it a Malaysian twist that carries a touch of every Asian flavor. The result was fantastic. Only problem was it took two hours to bake, and only a minute to gobble up (wait, that sounds more like Thanksgiving than Easter. How do rabbits eat?)

To be honest, I’m not really a fan of potatoes at all unless they’re in french fry form, but these look simply divine and PERFECTLY crispy, just the way I like them! Mmm. I’m thinking this is definitely going to be a bookmarked recipe that I try (because we all know that “bookmarking” a recipe is kind of like the kiss of “I’m never going to make this” death). Happy late Easter!

I’m one of those hard core potato eaters, and this recipe looks like something I’d love to eat by the fistful. I love the crisped pancetta idea; other possibilities are lots of fresh dill butter (butter, lemon zest&juice, minced garlic and dill); a cheddar cheese sauce with lots of paprika and/or fresh sage; a cream sauce with tarragon. But I’d probably just stick with the recipe you have here and serve with a delicious roast and lots of vegetables. And thanks for the beautiful photos; each one is a work of art.

I literally gasped when I saw this. It is beautiful! I used only 3 pounds of potatoes and made it in an 8-inch cake pan, and it cooked beautifully. Like london mentioned before, though, I did find it a little bland. My boyfriend loved it, but he also loves just about anything involving potatoes. The parts where the shallots and olive oil and butter really seeped into the potatoes were DELICIOUS, but the rest of it was a little too plain for my tastes, despite liberal seasoning. I may add some heavy-handed garnishes for future versions!

Well, I just fell for this dish from the picture alone. And I have two sweet potatoes that have been sitting in my produce drawer for longer than I want admit. and a rosemary plant that desperately needs to be repotted. and I’ve got two hours to kill tonite. and I’m already hungry. I am worried about not having a mandolin, buuuut I’m diving into this one right after work. yum

Woah. I need this in my life! I am already dreaming of other possibilities (root veggies for Thanksgiving, beets, my mind is spinning!) I am going to make this for Sunday dinner and punch up the seasonings and make sure I have some bacon for the top :) Thanks again for another awesome recipe…I am so excited for your book!

Made these on Sunday. Unfortunately I forgot to buy shallots and thyme when I was out shopping, so I made them without and sprinkled with feta and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice when they came out of the oven. Definitely a big hit with my family!

I made this on Sunday after seeing your post. WONDERFUL! I used all of your suggestions and used Yukon Gold, pancetta that I crisped up in the oven beforehand and the goat cheese sent it over the top! It was so buttery and rich. Thanks again!!

Hi Deb!
This is a first for me (writing on your blog), and also making this potato roast!
I made it tonight for me and my husband, and we LOOOOOOVED IT!!
I used potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions, and all the flavors together were amazing! I didn´t follow your advice of trying the size of the dish, so I ended up covering only the outer rim with the potatoes/sweet potatoes, so I put all the lefover sliced onions in the middle…What a surprise! The result: beatufully caramelized onions, that mixed perfectly with the oil/butter mixture and the onion juices, and everything steeping into the potatoes!! OMG!
(Sorry for any mistakes, english is my second language!)
Thanks for a great recipe!

That Martha Stewart gets me every time too! I love how this recipe looks, and I always have a ton of potatoes on hand that need to be used up. What I don’t have, though, is a mandoline (yet!). I suppose I’d better get slicing! Thanks for the great recipe!

Thanks for this delicious recipe! I tried it with sweet potatoes and yukons, topped with goat cheese and it was amazing! I think the exact quote from my boyfriend was, “I could eat this forever…all the time!” The goat cheese really made the dish, so thanks for the suggestion!

Wow, really great looking potatoes. I love spuds in all their glorious forms.
I’m always perplexed why we want our food to look exactly like the photograph, when that photograph was created by a professional. As a Chef, if you see my creation, I want you to find another way to express it. (I’m working on deconstruction Eggs Benedicts).
Any way, great job, lovely photo, beautiful food.

Lovely! I make something like this using Yukon Golds, purple Viking potatoes, golden and regular beets, thinly sliced onion, carrots and parsnips. All thinly sliced and artfully arranged. I spice it up a little differently – turmeric, smoked paprika, cardamom, cumin, salt and pepper (some cayenne if the kids are not there). I use just olive oil and bake it slowly. Served with some sauteed chard and kale – it’s just about a perfect food!

I got that exact same mandoline for Christmas this year. I don’t know how I lived without it! (I also got the glove which I would be afraid not to use). I was having quite a time using it to make gratins in the (hopefully well behind us) winter months.

Jeffred — I was making those suggestions for “next time”. Nevertheless, my family is not Kosher. In fact, they showed up at my apartment last Friday with fixings for their own lunch — salami and cheese on matzo. They crack me up.

this might get me to buy a mandoline, already!
Thanks for a scalloped potato dish without all the cream. my husband won’t eat that type of dish, and I will…even though i shouldn’t!
(and it’ll be parve!)

HOLY SMOKES that looks incredibly delicious. I love that there are so many ways to prepare a potato. This is the potato as elderly grandmother you go to see on holidays, who always has a hearty meal and butterscotch candies in her apron pocket. I can’t wait to try this for myself! Thanks.

Great recipe! I made a few tweaks that were to my liking: I alternated slices of turnip and red onion with the potatoes, then mixed a little lemon juice in with the melted butter that went over the top to offset the bitterness of the turnips. After the first hour or so, I added uncooked pancetta and goat cheese over the top to crisp. Since they were so salty, I skipped the salt at the beginning.

Made this last night; pretty wonderful. The pancetta bits were KEY, but I was also a little frustrated that the potatoes came out, well, awkwardly cooked. The tops were rather chewy, centres tender but somewhat bland, bottoms butter soaked and wonderful.

Sweet Potatoes! When I read this post the first thing I thought of was how good this would be with sweet potatoes. I absolutely LOVE sweet potato fries but refuse to fry anything at home. This recipe appears to have the crisp on the ends and the soft part on the bottoms that I crave. Add some parsley and roasted garlic and I might not even miss the fries. – Yum!

This was very yummy with half sweet potato (not yam) and half regular potato. I also slipped in slices of carrot. We didn’t get the crispiness that the recipe describes, but I think that is because we just used oil, no butter. My daughter is allergic to dairy. I can’t wait till she grows out of this allergy and we can start using the good stuff again :)

Looks and sounds great! Eager to make it because it now forces me to buy a mandolin which I have been avoiding for a few years now. I have had so many horror stories; I want to make sure I get the right one. Any suggestions?

I, too, have this in the oven right now and the house smells DELICIOUS. We got a cold front this afternoon, so this is the perfect dish. Can’t wait until it’s done! (Serving them with pork tenderloin and a simple salad. YUM.)

I made this on Friday night, and it came out DELICIOUS, in spite of my changing some things up:

First I only had 3# of potatoes instead of 4# (the other pound had grown roots!). And three shallots. It seemed in proportion, so I carried on. Turned out to be a good thing I only had reduced quantities, as everything only *just* fit into the only available (clean) baking dish.

Then there was already a chicken in my oven at 450degrees by the time I realized that the casserole was supposed to go in at 375. But once the chicken is in, really there’s no stopping it, so I just stuck the casserole in beside it and hoped for the best. It took right around an hour for the top to crisp up (delicious!) and the bottom to roast all the way through – both the casserole and the chicken came out at the same time, and o/ victory! Also, I put a little shredded sharp cheddar on the top about 5 minutes from the end of baking – om nom nom!

I’d been dying to and finally had a chance to make this tonight. I didn’t have shallots or red pepper flakes, so I substituted parsnips and generous sprinklings of black pepper. It was still divine! And it looked so impressive coming out of my oven in the wee oval baking dish… I felt very chef-y. Thanks for a new way of thinking about roasting potatoes!

This is tasty. I only used sweet potato, butter, cinnamon and maple syrup with the proportions you gave. I also used my hand to toss/rub the liquid onto the chips instead of brushing/pouring it.

It takes a long time to make it crispy and cooked through because…well, think of it sort of as a dehydrator. You want the water content to evaporate so the butter can “fry” it in the oven. And middle always cook through last of course, so if you turn down the heat and cook slowly, you won’t burn the edge while the inside cook. My chips are smaller, so actually tried 450F for 8min (burnt edge and uncooked inside), 400 for 20min (slightly burnt edge but cooked inside), and 375 for 35min (best so far).

I made this beautiful dish but was short on gold potatoes, so I added one large sweet potato. I just stole a taste before I packed it up for transport to the in-laws’ house, and the kick of sweet flavor from the sweet potato slices packed in between the regular potatoes is just right. I do think I overdid it with the salt because I was worried that salt on the bottom and top wouldn’t be enough, but it would have been.

Oh my word! Absolutely, amazingly delicious! I made this for dinner tonight, and spent the whole time it was cooking browsing through the rest of your recipes here! My mum and I devoured almost the entire thing (garnished with ungodly amounts of goat cheese), and it was supposed to feed our family of four…. oops! :)

I’ve never met a potato dish that I’ve not liked, and this is no exception! I love the thought of slicing the potatoes so thinly then baking them so that every piece has less surface area and is thus able to be become crispy easier. Genius! Potatoes are the greatest comfort foods in the world.

First time commenter here! :)
I am in love with this picture and hoping to re-create this dish for an after race brunch this sunday. The only problem is that we will be running all mornign instead of in the kitchen. Do you think there’s any way to bake part of it the night before to lessen the wait time when we return home, hungry?

Made this for the two of us and didn’t want any leftovers because it seems like a dish better eaten hot so I made it with 6 potatoes in a kugelhopf pan – in case anyone wants to try it, don’t hesitate, it worked a treat ^_^

Man that looks so good, that is definitely going on next weeks menu. I love potatoes and anything made with them so I am all over this and I think this would be amazing with sweet potatoes and Yukon’s I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Hi, As soon as I saw the picture I knew I had to make it. Went right out and bought a a $45 mandolin. It was worth it. Everything went as described in the recipe, and the extra fussing about the size of dish was very helpful. Delish – and oh so presentable on the table. I now want to make things that require the use of my new kitchen appliance so bring on the slicing and dicing!

i made this today and it was absolutely delicious. i imagined this recipe as more of an herbed potato sort of thing, so i seasoned it with homemade garlic salt, tarragon, oregano, parsley, and a bit of chili powder. totally delicious!! i also used a regular yellow onion which gave it a stronger flavour. thank you so much for posting another great recipe!! :D

also i chopped my potatoes with the slicer attachment of my food processor and they came out great! maybe a touch thicker than what could have been achieved with a mandolin, but i don’t have one and it was certainly thinner than what i would’ve been able to accomplish since i lack a sharp knife. :)

Hi Deb! I made this last night, as we had friends over, and my husband wanted to barbecue some pork chops. I only used 3 pounds of potatoes, as there was only 4 of us. I omitted the shallots, and seasoned generously indeed. I didn’ t skimp on the baking time – as advised, and it was wonderfully cooked through. My husband loved it, so this is definitely going to be made again. Thank you very much!

I made this dish using ramekins since I don’t have an oven. I only have a toaster oven, but it worked out great! I made enough for myself and my boyfriend. I kept the ramekins covered for most of the time to make sure it cooked before getting crispy. I took the foil off 10-15 minutes before it was done. It took about 45minutes- 1 hour to make it. For the small amount it took a lot of time, but it was delicious!!! My boyfriend is already asking me to make it again! If only there was a cheaper alternative to shallots….I live in Japan and my supermarket has shallots in the special food section i.e.; expensive.

Oh, and I halved the recipe and baked it in three mini loaf pans– they’re the perfect width for one row of potato slices. Since my potatoes were smallish and the sweet potato was big, I cut the sweet potato slices in half so they were more or less the same height.

Delicious and creative! For a beautiful presentation, try putting the skewer of chips across the rim of a bowl of soup… I wound up doing this by accident because we happened to be having soup for dinner… but it was very classy looking!

I know this was already suggested, but I made this dish by using my apple peeler/slicer/corer to accordion the potatoes. I can attest the value of the suggestion–I’ve done it twice and it’s so fast and easy. I just use the potato cores separately.

My other variation was to use thin-sliced leeks in place of the shallots. They get creamy soft and just melt into the potato.

This dish actually made an appearance on the table for the first dinner I made (last evening!) for a new gentleman I am completely (ahem) smitten with. I thought it an appropriately filling, tasty, and yet elegant dish. I served it alongside an original recipe of mine for pork tenderloin (stuffed with mushroom duxelle, parsley puree, and feta, wrapped in bacon….), with your ribboned asparagus salad, and then a scallop appetizer. He said it was the best meal anyone had ever made for him. If this one goes somewhere (and I sure hope it does) you’ll have a share of the credit!!! ;)

SK: These are amazing. Not to be a groupie, but I read your blog every week I love how you weave in personal details into your recipes. The photos are pretty crushable too. Thanks for the inspiration- I’m storing this recipe away for thanksgiving this year. It’s me and my hubby’s first time hosting and want to dazzle my skeptical family members (don’t think I haven’t heard the concern in their voices that the ball is in my court this year!). I think these potatos will set them straight! Thank you :)

Delicious and creative. Made this for the mom’s on mother’s day. Turned our perfect. I love to eat all potatoes recipe. potatoes and potatoes is my favorite vegetable. The photos are pretty crushable too.

Can I just say how much I LOVE this dish. I make it all the time. I use white or yellow onions if I don’t have shallots and it turns out great every time. Once I didn’t have onions on hand and just added garlic, still wonderful. My kids (age 3 & 4) also love this dish. Thank you so much for the recipe.

I made this today, minus the thyme! I made a smaller portions (only three potatoes total which ended up fitting perfectly in my dish), and used two tbsp olive oil and one tbsp butter (I wanted to cut the calories). I did season with salt, a good amount of black pepper, and a hint of garlic powder and onion powder. It wasnt crisping, so I put it under the broiler when it was cooked through. Perfection! Making this again this weekend for company!

I have been reading your blog since inception. You always have a total stand-up recipe for us to nibble on. This my dear,is thd JACKPOT!!! I’m thinking of starting a blog titled HOLY F K YOUHAVETO MAKE THIS NOW.COM

..JK…keep up the good work and thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me another regular potato to put in the weekly rotation. That’s not easy to do :)

I made this dish for my parents’ 25th wedding anniversary party on Saturday and it came out AWESOME!!! The thyme at the end is the perfect addition, and I love the texture. This dish was gone in no-time, and we even made it again last night because it is so easy (go mandolin!). Thanks again for another yummers recipe!!

Did a recipe round up on these- they were AMAZING. What a great side to pretty much any meal. I didn’t really believe you about the two hours in the oven until I tried it though… turns out you need every minute.

But seriously, one of the best things I’ve ever made off of your blog, which is really saying something.

That photo is intoxicating, so of course I had to try this. I made it with sweet potatoes and beets, seasoned with spicy za’atar and a little agave. Vegans, earth balance works great in this dish. Thanks for the inspiration, Deb!

Also I didn’t have 2 hours to bake (was bringing to a potluck and running way behind schedule), so I steamed the potatoes and beets ’til they were almost halfway cooked. After they were cool enough to handle I sliced them with the mandoline and prepared it according to the procedure. I’d say this saved at least 45 mins!

I’ve made this dish twice now substituting yellow onion for the shallot and it was delicious. I’ve always been afraid of mandolines and bought one specifically for this recipe. (I now have good reason to fear them but this recipe is well worth it!)

I have a question though: The potatoes seem to “rust” before I’m done no matter how much oil and butter I slather on them. After baking they are slightly greyish in the middle. It’s not catastrophic but not exactly the aesthetic I was hoping for. I read a lot of the comments and no one seems to mention this. What can I do to prevent this from happening?

I have made this dish a few times now, and i have to say that the most recent was by far the most successful. I held off on the shallots and instead bought some pesto and spread it on top and bottom of the slices of potatoes. In order to soften up the bottom half of the dish i used about a half inch of cream and it soaked right up into the potatoes. It made for a bit more contrasting texture. Pair this with garlic herb chicken and a veggie!

I read this recipe a few days ago, and tomorrow I will make it, but the bake temperature seems too much!! 375ºC? I think my oven maximun temperature are 250ºC!!!
Thank you!!!
I’m SUPER FAN OF SMITTEN KITCHEN!!!
Alicia from Spain!!!

Would it affect the recipe at all if i prepped the casserole the night before? we’ve got visitors coming and this would be great for dinner, but we’ve got a full day planned and wouldn’t have time to prep when we get home (i’ve got your buttermilk chicken planned to marinate while we are away!)

This recipe is a stunner! It is served to rave reviews every time and we just cant get enough. I have taken to using duck fat in place of the oil and …..DAMN!
Smitten Kitchen has become my go to for epicurean treasures, thanks so much for all your work.

Just made this dish for Christmas dinner. I was sure to season with lots of sea salt and black pepper (not red). Due to oven needs, I cooked the dish for an hour, took it out while I roasted some brussels sprouts, then finished it off before dinner. So delicious!!!! It was a hit. Thanks again SK!!

Unbelievably yummy! Have made this three times in the last month. Super easy with a mandolin! Made once with russets and twice with sweet and purple potatoes. So delicious seasoned as per recipe! Thank you Deb!

Made this with my mixer slicer and shredder attachment, took less than 2 minutes. I also used Yukon golds with small diameters and could fit it into an aluminum pie pan in a circular pattern. Topped it with parmesan and bacon crumbles and reheated it at a party. Everyone loved it, thanks deb! (I brought individual pavlovas for dessert another thanks for that as well)

I’ve always wanted to make this and am planning to serve for Christmas dinner this year. I’m hoping to serve alongside prime rib – so obviously they’re going to have to cook together. I’m planning on the beef for 2.5 hours at 275 – any reco on a revised cooking time for this at a lower temp? Thanks so much deb you’re my favorite and happy holidays!

Made this for Xmas eve, as mom hijacked my mashed potato recipe for dinner tomorrow. This is amazing, so delicious – it finished early so I had to sample it. Can’t wait to dig in properly when the (meat) roast is finished!

Hello there, u recently discovered your great website :-) thank you for the great recipes !!! My little suggestion, is if you can bold the recipe so it is easier to find, because when i try to find what ingredients will i need, i have to scan through the writting, which is fine cuz you write interesting stuff, but its hard to notice. Again thanks for the wonderful recipes:-) :-)

I made this following a suggestion of another poster, putting sliced onions in the center of the dish to cook with the potatoes, and giving the onions a stir every half hour or so. Other than that I kept to the recipe.

Pure. Potato. Heaven.

This is very much a keeper! The leftovers froze well, but crispiness was lost in doing so. Reheating them on a toaster oven sheet brought them to most of their old delicious crispiness, however, and even cold they were irresistible. The caramelized onions complimented the buttery herbal goodness of the potatoes perfectly!

Trying this dish again soon but going to top it with apple smoked bacon and crumbled feta following your suggestion. I love your recipes, Deb!

God Bless you Deb Perelman! I made a test run for myself last night prior to making for my neighborhood Holiday party tonight. I used Russets and one sweet potato to add color. At the final 30 minute mark, I sprinkled on rosemary, crisped pancetta (and the drippings if I’m being honest) and goat cheese. It was amazing!!! I savored each half crisped, half creamy potato slice and ate with my fingers ;) You’re the best!

okay what am i doing wrong? i mean they were delicious and all that, but like a couple others mentioned above, they went kind of grey. the only time i strayed from the recipe was when i forgot to peel the potatoes, ooops. could that be the issue?

yeah I think that was it actually. It did take me a while to figure out what dish I was gonna put them all in once sliced so that’s probably what did them in. Hopefully I was clever and made a note on my recipe.

I made this recently and used a cast iron skillet. Came out perfect! Would like to know if they would turn out okay if I cooked them the night before and then reheat? Would like to be able to prepare in advance. Thanks!

Yum, I love the look of this dish… a nice alternative to mashed potatoes.

2 questions:
(1) Can you please tell me how many servings this casserole makes?
(2) Have you ever alternated the white potato slices with carrots, turnips, parsnips or other root veggies? I bet it makes for a great looking (and tasting) side dish!

If i have to choose only one food i can eat for the rest of my life that would be potatoes. You can make it so many different ways, you can never get bored of it. My ultimate fav is the roasted potato. I will try this next time. Thanks for sharing.

Just made this as a combo recipe with the New York Times recipe for hassle back potatoes. Totally destroys any hope of it being a healthy side dish…. However! It eclipsed any plain Jane taste to over the top magnificence.
So, basically, this is now sweet potatoes au gratin, but with the vertical stacked, crispy edged beauty of your dish. New York Times recipe did not have any onion, so, as I had already sliced the shallots, I stuffed them in between slices, as you do.
Basically, this is your recipe with the addition of a cheesy, creamy sauce, in which you toss the potatoe slices pre- stacking step. All I can say is , to hell with the turkey:)

Thank you for this recipe! I was torn between this recipe and your newest Potatoes Anna teaser recipe from your new cookbook, but ended up making this one for the aesthetics of it and because my rental broiler is pathetic and I didn’t hold high hopes for browning. I did sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano from your Potatoes Anna recipe on top of this before baking. For anyone else considering making this, don’t skip the shallots! They are such a lovely flavor addition. Baked in an oval pan at 325 for 2plus hours because I was anyway making your Braised Beef Short Ribs. Since I had the time, the lower temperature for longer was really lovely. Creamy centers, lovely browned potato chip crispy edges, and a great rounded flavor from the shallots and thyme. Added extra cheese about 10 minutes before pulling it out and cranked up the temperature to 400. Loved the flavor and texture and the presentation is incredible! I felt like Julia Child setting it on the table. :)

No need to rinse; your potatoes aren’t likely to lock together with stuff between them but you can always give each slice a little turn to encourage petal-ing. Cream and parmesan would probably be delicious, more gratin-like. Keep the cream level low so the tops stay crispy.

Can this made in advanced and then baked later or will it get too watery? Trying to make it for Christmas Eve dinner but would love to assmble so I can just put in the oven after we come home from Church. Thanks!

I wish there was a way I could save individual recipes within your blog, that way I could go back to the ones I really want to make, when I’m looking for something to make but can’t remember! It would be similar to the “Add to Favourites” in Ravelry, or the orange tag in Mason-Dixon Knitting…..
Anyway…I love your blog, love the recipes and the photos…thanks.